Per the GitHub readme:
This app is discontinued. The last release on Github and F-Droid will happen with the December 2024 Syncthing version. Interactions (issues, PRs) are limited now, and the entire repo will be archived after the last release. Thus all contributions are preserved for any future (re)use. The forum is still open for discussions and questions. I would kindly ask you to refrain from trying to challenge the decision or asking “why-type” questions - I wont engage with them.
The reason is a combination of Google making Play publishing something between hard and impossible and no active maintenance. The app saw no significant development for a long time and without Play releases I do no longer see enough benefit and/or have enough motivation to keep up the ongoing maintenance an app requires even without doing much, if any, changes.
Thanks a lot to everyone who ever contributed to this app!
This is extremely disappointing news. I have been using the Syncthing-Fork version, but since it is based on this app, this may be the end for that app as well.
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Hopefully Syncthing-Fork will still be maintained somewhat, and remains available through F-Droid…
Google holds way too much power and takes too many arbitrary decisions… including the absurdity of asking for a absurdly expensive and time-consuming security audit for Google Drive access, which as far as I’m aware is not a thing for other cloud storage services like Dropbox, OneDrive, etc.
It’s why I can’t wait for a truly open mobile OS that I’d feel comfortable running as a daily driver for work critical applications.
Graphene with sandbox?
That’s what I’m running, but I’d rather devs move away from play store. When looking for apps, f-droid and compatible repos are sorely lacking. I’ll still look there first though.
It’s amazing how Google Play keeps imposing more and more restrictions to the point they’re killing legitimate apps, yet won’t stop actual malware from being published.
Legit, some days ago one of my coworkers had installed some “water reminder” app that was pure malware, didn’t even have a icon on the homescreen, just opening random ads. Reported multiple times, I’d tell y’all the name if I could remember itNo need. We here are all aware of the cesspool that the store has degenerated into. F-Droid is the last standing bastion of quality.
Whenever I’m looking for a simple app like an alarm or notes app, fdroid is the best place to check.
That’s a bummer. I’ve been using the forked version as well, and even that dev has been annoyed with Google Play enough that it’s only released on F-Droid nowadays.
Personally, I don’t think it’s an issue only releasing only on F-Droid, because the people interested in Syncthing wouldn’t be deterred by that if they’re not already using it, but I totally get why that might sap the last bit of motivation the dev has.
The reason is a combination of Google making Play publishing something between hard and impossible and no active maintenance. The app saw no significant development for a long time and without Play releases I do no longer see enough benefit and/or have enough motivation to keep up the ongoing maintenance an app requires even without doing much, if any, changes.
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Why not just publish via F-Droid or even just to Github to be installed via Obtainium?
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What does “without Play releases” mean? What “active maintenance” is the developer expecting?
They already publish on F-Droid. It sounds like it was just a lot of built-up frustration from the last several years of Google blocking apps that require storage permissions and making it difficult to get restored to the Play store.
This was the bug from the last removal. They were going back and forth with Google unproductively for months. Hopefully the existing fork (which was also taken down from the Play store) can keep going on F-Droid.
They already publish on F-Droid.
I understand that. What I don’t understand is why they’re abandoning the project altogether instead of just not publishing to Google Play anymore.
This was the bug from the last removal
Sounds like just Google being a typical corporation and having all of their responses returned by offshore workers paid $2/hour to reject applications they don’t understand.
As I understand it: because not enough people will use it through these ways, leading to not enough motivation for the dev(s?) .
Exactly. FDroid is a fraction of a percent of Android users. To get syncthing on your device you have to pass a lot of scary looking warnings on the way to get there. This is exactly what the monopoly trials were about.
Maybe more people would use it if they didn’t have the option of Play Store…?
He gave a reason, and said he’s not going to answers why questions, so your guess is as good as anyone else’s.
We should be thankful that this person maintained the app and put up with Google’s bullshit for so long.
If you find this app helpful, consider supporting whoever is willing to take over maintaining the app or a fork.
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A GitHub issue was opened for Syncthing-Fork, so it will be worth watching that to know whether it will continue to be supported.
Bummer, it’s one of my favorite apps =(
I use it for my Obsidian/Logseq markdown notes :0
I truly hope the developer can have a nice break from this.
I was literally going to set that up this week… Damn it.
Currently using Nextcloud to sync it but it’s shit.
Noooo! I don’t care about Google play. I only use it from fdroid. It’s the most important app on my phone! What will i do now?
Well it will probably keep working unless you update to a newer android version that could break the app. In the long term we have to hope someone picks up the torch.
Have this on all my devices to sync wallpapers. Such a shame when developers burn out
What’s your workflow for syncthing & applying wallpapers? Do you use tasker alongside synthing to sync and auto apply a new but same wallpaper on all your devices?
SyncThing syncs a massive folder and Muzei randomises them and switches them every half hour. If they’re ever the same on two devices, I start stressing because something has gone horribly wrong.
That’s a huge shame. I was using it quite extensively to sync wallpapers and immediately-necessary files to my phone.
It’s not even like it looks any better for iOS either. Between the filesystem permission issues, and the background activity being severely crippled as standard, no wonder there’s no development there either
well there is mobius sync, but yeah
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Just at the time i started to use it in my android it got discontinued 😕
Same here. Tried it out and it’s been great for a few months. I was just about to get some family members set up using it.
Damn, this is actually critical for me. I use it to sync photos, files, and password vaults between my devices.
Kind of wondering if it’s worth getting into Android development now…
Do it and pick it up!!
Well I suppose it is understandable. Sad to see especially when F-droid exists.
??? It’s an app for power users, the Google play limitations are irrelevant once it’s published on fdroid…
Except for all the family and friends phones I have installed it on, these are not power users.
Not being on the play store is a major deal.
Yes but it’s still better than nothing. Especially if the alternative is Termux+finely tuned power profile with Tasker. Install F-Droid to auto-update and then is set and forget
Agreed, it is fine for me. But I’m not going to setup something like that for family or friends.
My phone just died irreparably and sync thing saved so much of my data. Really hope it continues in some form
